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How we helped Ingram Micro manage risk and gain confidence to explore new markets

At a glance

Company:

Ingram Micro

Trade sector:

Technology

Market:

Global

Challenge:

Over cautious credit management stifled business growth.

Results:

Outsourcing credit management to Atradius enabled the company to better understand and take a more balanced risk approach they were comfortable with.

How we made it happen:

Business information tools coupled with strong team and support from Atradius.

The role that Atradius plays in our credit management processes cannot be underestimated.

Frédéric Wittemans
Ingram Micro

In order to meet the needs of multinational technology company, Ingram Micro, our Global team mirrors the location and size of their offices around the world. Their credit team has described our support as “almost an extension of our own business” and acknowledges the role we play in their customer service and business development.

Aims

For Ingram Micro, the key objective was the promotion and achievement of ‘business balance’. As their Director of Credit for Europe, Frédéric Wittemans, explained: “Within our business, credit management sits at the fulcrum of a ‘business balance’ with sales on one side and risk on the other.

“If we’re too protective and risk averse, then we will lose revenue and sales opportunities, yet too much focus on sales will inevitably result in increased trading risk and the potential for losses.

“This is why it is essential that we have a strong team, excellent business information feeds and expert support through our credit insurance partners, Atradius.

Our role

Nico Boots, Global Account Manager, Atradius

We have been providing credit insurance, business information and risk management support to Ingram Micro since 2007. We work in close partnership with their credit management team and with their broker, Marsh.

The scale of Ingram Micro’s customer base, and the total level of credit it provides in Europe, has been a key influence on how the credit insurance provision is managed.

The bulk of the credit cover is allocated to the company’s 11,000 largest customers as they present the highest credit risk, due to the volumes and value of orders placed. Also, as they’re larger businesses, their own credit management processes are more sophisticated and well structured, which means that the credit procedures and the associated risks presented to Ingram Micro are reduced.

For the vast majority of the remaining 69,000 smaller accounts, the trade is not covered by credit insurance, but the level of credit offered by Ingram Micro is decided by their credit management team in conjunction with us and is driven by the collective database of business information and the joint expertise that exists in the two businesses.

Our goal is always to provide the best advice we can to help Ingram Micro’s business. Recognising the value of this, Ingram Micro involve us in management meetings, inviting us to offer our perspective in order to help them ‘police’ their credit management processes.

“The role that Atradius plays in our credit management processes cannot be underestimated. They have become almost an extension of our own business with no barriers to communication, decision-making or information, which has helped simplify the process dramatically”, said Frédéric Wittemans.

About Ingram Micro

Frédéric Wittemans, Ingram Micro

Ingram Micro is the world’s largest technology distributor and a leading technology sales, marketing and logistics company for the IT industry worldwide.

Since its beginnings in 1979, Ingram Micro has connected technology solution providers with vendors worldwide, identifying markets and technologies that shape the IT industry.

Today, Ingram Micro remains at the forefront of the global technology marketplace, bringing the latest products and services to market and finding new ways to bring value to its customers.

The statements made herein are provided solely for general informational purposes and should not be relied upon for any purpose. Please refer to the actual policy or the relevant product or services agreement for the governing terms. Nothing herein should be construed to create any right, obligation or responsibility on the part of Atradius, including any obligation to conduct due diligence of buyers or on your behalf. If Atradius does conduct due diligence on any buyer it is for its own underwriting purposes and not for the benefit of the insured or any other person. Additionally, in no event shall Atradius and its related, affiliated and subsidiary companies be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use of the statements made information herein.